The Trouble With Tom

Book #6 was The Trouble with Tom, by Paul Collins. I think technically, this might have been the first book I read this year, but after they starting piling up on my desk, it all started to blur together. Regardless, I've been on a Collins kick lately (Not Even Wrong is actually next on my list when I finally finish Blue Latitudes...) and I was motivated enough to buy this in hardcover, so it seems likely I bought this right after it came out and read it very shortly thereafter.

(oops - bad on me - I bought it at his signing, that's why it's in hardcover...)

Regardless - worth every penny. I might even buy it again in paperback, because it was that good. I've said it about his books earlier tonight, so I'll say it again - his seamless weaving of memoir and history is impeccable. I love that style, in general, and think he pulls it off with particular aplomb.

The book is about the last bit of Thomas Paine's life and the strange afterlife of his bones. Paine was such a controversial and despised figure by the time he died, that his bones had a hard time finding a "home." Paine supporters followed his pieces in his afterlife, making sure that there was some sort of a stewardship over the years and passing them along (unintentionally) from one interesting character to another over the years. Collins tells the story better then I can rephrase it, but it's fascinating. Watching them traverse time, political disposition, and countries is particularly fascinating - especially since, as Mr. Collins points out - each owner has their own intriguing story to tell in the process. They never seem to end up with some uninteresting nobody who just keeps them in a well dusted glass jar...

I'm really looking forward to completing my Collins canon with Not Even Wrong and steeling myself for the fiction books he's been republishing as part of the Collins library project.

That's how much I like his work - despite my staunch anti-fiction stance (I've always identified with that line from the soon-to-be father-in-law in Sideways about (paraphrasing) there being "so much to learn in this world - why would I waste time on made-up stories?") - I'm going to delve into fiction. If anyone can make it good, I have a feeling it will be Collins.

Enough obsequiousness. After a couple hours of blogging, I finally feel caught up. Next stop - Blue Latitudes!

Assassination Vacation

Book #5 was Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell.

Sarah Vowell should be required by law to write every history book in America. She should also be required to write five books a year, minimum. She's fabulous, her history books are fabulous, everything she writes is fabulous, and she's an Art History major - reason enough to be obsequious.

Sorry - digressed there for a minute. Assassination vacation is about three different assassinations in US presidential history. Ms. Vowell traverses the country tracking down the famous spots where major events leading up to, or involved in, those assassinations happened. She covers the McKinley assassination, the Garfield assassination, and the Lincoln assassination. Not only is the writing and the history a humorous and riveting page-turner, but she does an amazing job at making otherwise prosaic periods of US history fascinating. She even talks about the relative obscurity of Garfield, especially when compared to the fan fare around Lincoln's assassination.

The book was especially relevant to me for three reasons:

1. I had just finished the First Great Triumph, which actually talks in great detail about the McKinley era and assassination. it was great fun to read AV and be reminded of what I'd read or considered notable from that book. She and I even walked away with the same impression that the headlines from yesteryear could've been verbatim lifted from the headlines of today. Inter-linking between books always feels momentous, for some reason.

2. I had just recently visiting Washington DC and Ford's Theater, in particular. She does an excellent job of capturing what makes Ford's Theater so captivating, and the tale so gripping. Ford's Theater is really a severely under rated tourist destination in DC, and I hope her book gets the word out more on what a great afternoon a tourist can spend there.

3. It was my first library book - and full library read - in ages. Go me!

Founding Brothers

Book #4 was Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis. Or rahter, Book #4 was book #30 of I Am the Rain King's 50 books in a year challenge. (Man, it's amazing what the Internet will teach you. In looking for links about Ellis, I just read about his scandal at Mt Holyoke. Weird. Historians, of all people, you'd think would know better then to embellish your past...)

I am the rain king does an excellent job of summarizing and reviewing the book, so I won't add a ton to that. I completely agree that the book is fascinating, that it sheds a "real" light on who the founding fathers were - their perfections and imperfections - and gives some much needed context to the future political travails that were to follow that magnificent era. While I agree that the Hamilton-Burr chapter was the most interesting, I would've also ranked the moving of the capitol chapter high on my list, if for no other reason then i have always wondered why the White House is on Pennsylvania Avenue.

It made me really interested in reading more about the subject, both his longer book on Washington and other books on that general period of history - always the sign of a good book. Plus, who knew Jefferson was so crazy?

Sixpence House

Book #3 was Sixpence House by one of my all-time favorite new authors: Paul Collins. I've blogged about my first exposures to Mr. Collins, with both the book - Banvard's Folly, and meeting him in person at a reading. (Wow, looking for those old posts made me completely understand tagging. Go figure.)

This book, like all of the Collins' books I've read so far, was a mixture of a history book (about reading and this small town in the Welsh countryside that has 1500 inhabitants and 40 bookstores), and a memoir. It crosses the two narratives deftly, between discussions of antiquarian books, the book selling industry, the lifespan of a book, and the changing nature of a town that is run by a hearty core of people and their idiosyncratic and self-proclaimed "King," and his life trying to move into the town and the headaches and issues he and his wife ran into trying to move.

The book is fun - not as serious history as his other books (on Thomas Paine's remains and on the 13 people who failed to change the world (Banvard's Folly)), but enjoyable nonetheless. Because he is simultaneously stewarding his very first book through the publishing process (Banvard's Folly) at the same time, the reader even gets a really intriguing insight into what it's like to be a writer, and a writer's unique perspective on antiquarian books.

All that said, it probably isn't my favorite of his books. I really like it when writers make history feel real and relevant, and particularly when they take dry historical topics and make them page-turners. This is a much lighter book, and, as such, isn't as much of about "learning" as it is a memoir. Having said that, I like everything he writes and would heartily recommend it as part of the Collins canon. Besides for which, after reading more about him and his family, it just further reinforces my feeling that he is the "Nicest. Author. Ever." And that everyone should read his blog.

Talk to the Hand

Book #2 was Lynne Truss' newest book Talk to the Hand: the Utter Bloody rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to stay Home and bolt the Door.

Starter confession: I, like many many many people, loved Eats, Shoots and Leaves. It was probably one of my favorite books of the year, if not on my all-time hit list. I don't consider myself all that good at grammar or punctuation, but it was so spirited, funny, and convincing, that it was hard not to read it and want to storm the verbal Bastille with an eraser. IMHO, that book deserved every piece of praise it got, and the people who criticized it just missed the point.

So it was enormously disappointing to me that Talk to the Hand was sub-par. The genius of ES&L is that it was such a random thing to be militant about. Add to that her biting wit and superb writing style, and it couldn't help but be enjoyable.

But if "grammar and punctuation" are unlikely heros in a book, then featuring "rudeness" in your follow up is like modeling the male lead in your romance novel after Fabio. It's been done; a lot. So instead of being a fun ride alongside someone else's extremely focused and odd pet peeve, it sounded a lot like the TV commentators on Fox News complaining about how the world is going to He** in a hand basket and we can blame that on the youth of today and their "utter bloody rudeness."

Still, I enjoy her writing style immensely and will be first in line for her next book, on whatever topic that will be.

All up reading

It's been a productive book reading winter for me. What with more than expected traveling and some good luck with quick and exciting reads, I've managed to get myself off to a good start for the year.

On the opposite side, while I've done a much better job at reading more books than usual, I've done a terrible job at writing up what I've read. Ah well.

I'm going to cheat and do the six posts for the six books I've made it through thus far this year at once. Book #7, Blue Latitudes is almost done and I can hardly wait to post about what a wonderful book it is and why everyone should read it. Meantime:

Book #1:

30 Satires by Lewis Lapham: No lie, I bought this book entirely because of the endorsement on the cover: "I have a picture of Lewis Lapham on my binder" by Lisa Simpson. I have no idea why that swayed me so, but the cover was that fabulous thick white paper that feels just short of porcelain, and the cover picture was esoteric and, as such, pleasing, so even though I'm not much for satire and didn't know who Lewis Lapham was, I decided to try it.

Lewis Lapham is a fabulous writer. You should be able to expect that of someone from Harper's. And I'm sure his satires are ROFLing worthy, but this book is old. Rather, the book was published in 2003, so the book itself wasn't old, but many of the pieces in the book are from the 80s and early 90s. And one thing you will learn rather quickly upon reading 30 satires, is how poorly political satire ages. I have a feeling these stories were incredibly pithy and germane when they were released, but given that the topics have long since passed, and I have no prior knowledge to bring to the topic, they tended to be at best dull and at worst confusing. I did marginally better with the more modern pieces on Clinton's impeachment, but marginally is the operative word.

Political buffs would probably love this. But then again, they probably wouldn't be persuaded to buy a book because a cartoon character recommended it. Or, they subscribe to Harper's and already have the stories. Either way, I'm still happy I have this book because I am just so enamored with the cover...

Shop your friend's closet

<warning: utterly trite and self-indulgent post about outfits and one's wardrobe.>

Lucky magazine had an interesting editorial note about two months ago where the editor described having some of her other specialty editors (fashion editor, beauty editor, etc) come over and "shop her closet." The idea was that to bring in someone whose taste you admire, but who has notably different taste in clothing than your own. Then, you have them "shop your closet." As best I could figure out, they go into your closet as if it was a boutique and pick out items they like and try to make outfits with the other items in your closet.

There are a few goals to the exercise: 1. to give you a fresh perspective on your wardrobe, 2. to expand your outfit options, and 3. to give you a fresh perspective on specific items (perhaps you have always won the same skirt the same way for years), and 4. to see what someone else would find note-worthy in your closet that you might have been over-looking for years.

A very indulgent friend did this for me over the weekend (I'm hoping I can return the favor some weekend when laundry is not a gating factor) and it was amazing. I would give the effort an A+ on all four goals.

Right off the bat what blew me away were the pieces she was drawn to. She built numerous outfits from basics I haven't touched in years (if ever) and was fawning over a shirt I bought as, bascially, a costume and felt guilty about giving away so soon after it had served its purpose. The things in my closet that I just adore (and therefore wear eight ways of Sunday) she summarily passed over. The things languishing in my closet, pleading for their own fifteen minutes of fame, she picked up and combined with wild abandon.

Perhaps the thing that amazed me the most is how she "summer-fied" and "casualized" what I had. I am extremely fond of winter, and will put anything I can get my hands on with tights and knee high boots - so to see someone pick up my camisoles (which never see the light of day) and make them the stars of my wardrobe (and suggest wearing flip flops instead of boots as my default) was really eye-opening. On top of that, there was a casualness to the things she pulled together which was mind boggling. I have never goten a true casual look that I like, and she pulled about 25 looks together with ease over the course of an hour.

Net net, I hope to return some small fraction of the favor and for any of the fashion conscious that are out there, I highly recommend the exercise. Beyond all the other things it did (friendship, fun, the like) it really helped quell the shopping lust - because I feel like I got a whole new wardrobe in the process.

PowerPoint Moleskin

I was doing a quick drawl through the Technorati Fashion category and found this post on a new Moleskin for outlining slide decks: PSFK: PowerPoint Moleskin. I am recently very enamoured of the Moleskin products (late to this party too, I realize) having finally gotten one that I carry around as my permanent holder of All Things To Be Done. The form factor, the paper, the cover, the whole nine yards is everything I was promised it would be, so now I am desperate to get my hands on this little book - it's such a neat and clean way to think through the story board for a presentation.

I am assuming that Mr. Hardt or Professor Lessig would go through a book of these a day, given their presentation styles... but it would still be fun to see their notebook as they thought the whole thing through.

The telegram is back - sort of...

I was unreasonably melancholic about the recent demise of the telegram. I've never received one, I've never used one, and I've never even considered sending one, but somehow the passing of that era seems sad. So I was bucked up to see that 16 Sparrows is stepping in to the rescue by providing stationary in the style of the old 1920's British Telegrams. There is something so pleasingly formal and industrial, and yet delicate and retro about these lovely letters. I'm glad someone picked up the mantel when it was thrown down...

I wish my Lucky were here...

It is a small but overwhelming sense of comfort to know that there is someone else out there who receives their Lucky magazine with as much enthusiasm, and paws through it as thoroughly, as I do. But that small sense of comfort is semi-outraged that she's already received her April issue and there is still no peep of mine in my mailbox...

Oh, and her blog is a ton of fun in general, not just because she is kind enough to preview Lucky each month for the less fortunate :)

Book before movie? Or movie before book?

I have always found it interesting to read the book a movie is based on or see the movie that a book is based on. It all started for me with Bridget Jones' Diary. In the book, Bridget is a very reasonable, slightly but adorably neurotic woman who meanders through her day with the self same thoughts that I think a lot of women have running through their heads throughout their day: how much have I eaten, how much do I weigh, is he looking at me? Did I say something stupid, etc. The book was perfectly reasonable - not my favorite thing in the world, but light, entertaining, and sympathetic. The movie, on the other hand, blew these tiny neurosis into huge slapstick routines, making Bridget a much less likeable character and much more cartoonish in the process.

In that case, I preferred one to the other, but ever since then it's been fascinating to do the thought experiment and see which is "better." I read Girl, Interrupted with hopes of comparing to the movie (but the thought of watching Winonna Ryder scratch her wrists bloody in an attempt to see if there really was bone under there was just too much to stomach, so I shelved that project). I read The Virgin Suicides, Clue, the book (so help me - it should be illustrative that I can't even find a link to the book anymore), and The Princess Bride book, to figure out which is generally better - the movie, or the book.

And, as one would expect, the law of primacy kicks in. If you saw it first, you like the movie better. If you read it first, you like the book better.

So why I expected to like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book, I'm not sure.

First off, I'm so late to the Hitchhiker's party, that it was hardly worth showing up at all. I avoided the book for years because I thought it was in the Dancing Wu-Li Masters mold - part physics, part philosophy, all parts serious. I think if I had had any inkling that it was short, light-hearted, and comedic, I might have given it a shot years ago.

So when I actually chanced it enough to see the movie, the movie was so different then what I thought the Hitchhiker thing was about it was hard to adjust. Once I understood that this was just a random comedy using space as its backdrop, it was a lot of fun.

Because the book is such an old stand by, I feel sure that the die-hard fans lo these many generations think it utterly blasphemous that anyone might like the movie better - especially since, in reading the book, it's clear that they really hacked it, and a few other of the series, together. The book is fun and light, for sure, but I think you must have to read the whole series to really get a "story" out of it. Versus the movie, where they seem to have cherry-picked book elements to string together the best semblance of a plot possible. The book is random and fun, but not nearly as directed and "storied" as the movie, which is, I imagine, the point and the appeal of the book in the first place. I think I might try the rest of the series and see if I can get recency to kick in and boot out primacy...

First Great Triumph

Back in November, I finally finished the Warren Zimmermann's Magnum Opus - First Great Triumph.

Some background: At the tail end of 2004 I went to the Museum of History and Industry and saw a fantastic "period piece" exhibit which talked about the politics and issues of turn of the century America. It explored all the different pressure points in politics, society, and the economy. What amazed me about the exhibit was how the headlines from the 1900s could have been torn out of a modern paper. The issues seemed identical, the personalities darn similar, and the uncertainty of the nation just as real.

Over the Christmas break I took some time at a big bookstore in Boston and looked through all the 1890-1910 history books. Warren Zimmermann's was the thickest, so, therefore, by my rude count, it had to be the best. Once again, judging a book by its external factors reigns supreme. The book is excellent - extremely even-handed, very well written, and unbelievably relevant.

At the time, America was a bit of a nothing little nation that had been holding on with a death gripe to the twin policies of the Monroe Doctrine and isolationsism. In steps a group of five men to change that and launch America as a dominant global super-power: Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, Alfred Mahan, Elihu Root, and John Hay. Out of their five year "reign," the US emerged on the international scene as an imperial nation, with a bit of a bang. You can see some of the lasting consequences of how we entered the world of imperialism (specifically the Phillippines, Cuba, and Haiti) with the current situation in Cuba, and the parallels with how we approached the Iraq war.

I just recently finished Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation (another excellent book by Ms Vowell), where she talks about the McKinley assassination (among others). It was fun to read her shorter recap of the same time period and realize that she left with the same impressions that I did - that the mirror of history is being held up to the 1900s and it's amazing what you can see coming forward from the past.

You can find an excellent transcript of a speech given by Warren Zimmermann here.

Oh Joy!

The name of the blog really says it all - Oh joy! I am so impressed by design centric blogs. This one is especially tasteful and she does such a nice job of putting together a boutique-like collection of images from fashion, design, or houseware labels that she likes. The aesthetic is wonderfully consistent and the images are inspiration worthy...